A Macroinvertebrate Search

ALDERFLY
AQUATICWORMS
CADDISFLY
CRANEFLY
CRAYFISH
DAMSELFLY
DOBSONFLY
DRAGONFLY
LEECH
MAYFLY
MIDGE
MOSQUITOLARVA
MUSSEL
RIFFLEBEETLE
SALMONFLY
SIDESWIMMER
SNAIL
STONEFLY
WATERPENNY

Macroinvertebrates are a diverse group of animals, ranging from insects and crustaceans to molluscs and worms. They have been around for about 500 million years and some were even living in our waterways before the dinosaurs! Different aquatic macroinvertebrates have different tolerance levels to water pollution. Some water critters are sensitive to pollution, which means if the waterway was to become polluted they will die or move elsewhere. Other critters are tolerant to pollution, meaning they can survive in polluted water. By sampling a waterway for macroinvertebrates and identifying what’s there you will get a good indication of water quality and habitat condition. This word search contains the names of the different kinds of macroinvertebrate one might find in a typical freshwater stream. Good Luck!

Try to find all 19 words on this board.

P Y Y V S N G S T O N E F L Y
Z M N L P C N H A K A L X D L
Y I O N F P K Y Y G A T S S V
L D W S E E V H D N T E D M L
F G Y I Q P N F C L W E A R G
S E Q D E U R A H E N B L O U
I C V E O Y I E R E E E D W Y
D R P S O B L T T C Z L E C L
D A A W N G S F O A U F R I F
A Y K I M A U O L L W F F T N
C F A M V B I F N E A I L A O
T I K M A Y F L Y F S R Y U G
O S M E M F L W I L L M V Q A
B H J R O M U S S E L Y A A R
V O Y L F N O M L A S I D D D
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Answer Key for A Macroinvertebrate Search

X
Y
123456789101112131415
1# Y Y # # # # S T O N E F L Y
2# M N L # # # # # # # L # # #
3Y I O N F # # # # # # T # S #
4L D # S E E # H # # # E # M #
5F G # I Q P N # C # # E A R #
6S E # D # U R A # E # B L O #
7I C # E O Y I E R # E E D W Y
8D R # S # B L T T C # L E C L
9D A # W N # S F O A # F R I F
10A Y # I # A # O L L W F F T N
11C F # M # # I # N E A I L A O
12# I # M A Y F L Y F S R Y U G
13# S # E # # # # # # L M V Q A
14# H # R # M U S S E L Y A A R
15# # Y L F N O M L A S # # D D
Word X Y Direction
ALDERFLY  135s
AQUATICWORMS  1414n
CADDISFLY  111n
CRANEFLY  108nw
CRAYFISH  27s
DAMSELFLY  1415nw
DOBSONFLY  46se
DRAGONFLY  1515n
LEECH  128nw
MAYFLY  412e
MIDGE  22s
MOSQUITOLARVA  88se
MUSSEL  614e
RIFFLEBEETLE  1212n
SALMONFLY  1115w
SIDESWIMMER  44s
SNAIL  48se
STONEFLY  81e
WATERPENNY  1110nw